Controllable water surface to underwater transition through electrowetting in a hybrid terrestrial-aquatic microrobot.

ABSTRACT: Several animal species demonstrate remarkable locomotive capabilities on land, on water, and under water. A hybrid terrestrial-aquatic robot with similar capabilities requires multimodal locomotive strategies that reconcile the constraints imposed by the different environments. Here we report the development of a 1.6 g quadrupedal microrobot that can walk on land, swim on water, and transition between the two. This robot utilizes a combination of surface tension and buoyancy to support its weight and generates differential drag using passive flaps to swim forward and turn. Electrowetting is used to break the water surface and transition into water by reducing the contact angle, and subsequently inducing spontaneous wetting. Finally, several design modifications help the robot overcome surf

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6021446 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature